We all know that too much body fat It’s not healthy, but did you know it can actually turn deadly?
Hidden deep in your abdomen is visceral fat, and it coils around your organs and causes serious health problems like stroke, diabetes, some cancers, and more. Since you can’t see it, feel it, or touch it, you most likely won’t know it’s there, but it can kill you. So how do you know if you have it? Eat this, not that! Health talked to experts who explain what to know about visceral fat and three signs you have it. Read on and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss these Sure signs you’ve already had COVID.
Dr. Brian Fisher MBBCh MBE MSc FRSA, Clinical Director of perennial life and a medical expert with over 42 years of experience as a general practitioner tells us, “Most of us know that it’s unhealthy to have excess body fat. But certain types of fat can be even more harmful than we think, especially if we develop too much.Visceral fat, which is stored around organs, can contribute to a variety of dangerous health conditions, such as heart disease, dementia, and cancer.Visceral fat is essentially an accumulation of intra-abdominal adipose tissue.…Or, In simpler terms, it’s fat that’s stored deeper than normal belly fat. It wraps around major organs, including the liver, pancreas, and kidneys. Nasty stuff.”
Joanna Wen, Certified Weight Loss Trainer with spices and vegetables Share, “Visceral fat is a type of fat that surrounds our organs and is stored in our abdominal area. The other type of fat that we have is subcutaneous fat which is located just below our skin. Visceral fat is the most dangerous type of fat in our bodies due to its proximity to our core organs and can increase the risk of developing diabetes, heart disease and other chronic health conditions.”
Kent Probst, personal trainer, physical therapist and bodybuilder with Long Healthy Life adds, “It is important for people to have annual blood tests. High levels of estradiol in men are associated with abdominal fat. High levels of visceral fat or abdominal obesity are also associated with metabolic syndrome, a combination of lipid abnormalities, hypertension and glucose intolerance.”
Dr. Fisher explains, “A CT or MRI scan is the only way to accurately and definitively diagnose visceral fat and whether you have too much of it. However, these scans are expensive and time-consuming and not readily available for Your GP You can use general measurements and guidelines to estimate your visceral fat levels and potential health risks You can also buy bioimpedance scales to help measure visceral fat These work by sending a small electrical current through of your body when you step on the sensors, which measure the amount of body fat resistance. These are available at a variety of prices, but they can only give you an estimate of your body fat. But there are other simple and free ways you can estimate your visceral fat yourself.
waist hip ratio
Stand up straight and tall
Find and then measure the smallest part of your waist, usually just above your belly button. This measurement is your waist circumference
Next, find and measure the widest part of your buttocks or hips. This measurement is your hip circumference
Divide the circumference of your waist by the circumference of your hips. The result you get is your waist-hip ratio
A 2008 report by the World Health Organization (WHO) cited a 2001 study, which indicated that a waist-hip ratio greater than .85 for women and .90 for men indicates abdominal obesity. There is a strong correlation between visceral fat and waist-hip ratio. So if your ratio is above the recommended levels, you likely have high levels of visceral fat.
Waist-to-height ratio (WHtR)
You can also use the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). This may be a better method for people with type 1 diabetes, according to a study 2020. All you have to do is divide your waist circumference by your height. This can be done in centimeters or inches, just make sure they are both the same units. An ideal waist-to-height ratio is no older than 50.”
Wen explains: “There are several factors that can contribute to the accumulation of visceral fat:
-Excessive alcohol intake: Alcohol has also been shown to studies tor suppresses fat burning, and excess calories from alcohol are stored as belly fat, resulting in an unsightly beer belly.
-Imbalance in the intestinal microbiome: studies have found that the gut microbiome of overweight people has specific bacteria that can increase the amount of calories absorbed from food compared to people of normal weight.
– Stress: When your body is under stress, it produces cortisol, also known as the “stress hormone,” to respond to stress. Unfortunately, excess cortisol it can cause weight gain, and much of the extra calories end up going to the abdominal region due to this high level of stress hormone.
-People who carry excess weight are more likely to have visceral fat. In addition, older adults and postmenopausal women are also at increased risk.”
Wen says, “A waist size of 35 inches or more for women and 40 inches or more for men indicates excess visceral fat. This puts you at significant risk for heart disease and diabetes.”
Wen explains: “Your body mass index, or BMI, is a measure of your body fat based on your height and weight. A BMI of 30 or higher indicates that you’re obese. This means you have more body fat than you should. normal”. fat and probably an accumulation of visceral fat.
According to Wen, “having too much visceral fat can cause your body to become insulin resistant, which means your body doesn’t process sugar effectively. This can lead to high blood sugar levels that, over time, , they can damage your organs and lead to serious health problems.”
